Pearl Jam - Live at Easy Street

[Photo Credit]

There was a time when Pearl Jam was the only band that mattered to me. Long before bands like Boris, QOTSA, TV On The Radio and the like invaded my ear canals, Pearl Jam was the end all, be all. I own well over 40 Pearl Jam CDs. Everything from singles to live shows, Christmas vinyls to studio albums.

The first fan club I ever joined was the Ten Club. The first song I learned how to play on the guitar was "Elderly Woman...". And the first concert I ever went to was a (umm) Dave Matthews Band concert at Foxboro. Anyway, PJ is in my blood. You know this. At least, if you stop by from time to time, you know this.

I've recently tried to curb my consumerism with music. It hasn't been easy. And when I came face to face with Live at Easy Street at Amoeba Music in LA, how could I resist? I knew about the album: it came out a little less than a year ago and has 7 tracks from a 16 song set that PJ performed at an impromptu in-store performance at Easy Street Records in West Seattle. Covers of X, Dead Kennedys, and The Avengers highlight the album along with an outrageously great version of "Porch". The album was distributed through the Ten Club website and independent music stores throughout the country.

While (the greedy) part of me wishes all 16 tracks were here, the other part is thankful that some 15 years ago I chose a great band - one that is cutting live EPs of in-store performances while they can still sell-out every arena in America - to be my favorite.

[Earlier: JK's Take]



MP3: Pearl Jam - "Bleed For Me"
MP3: Pearl Jam - "New World" (ft. John Doe)